The present boot is intended for protective application to the hooves of horses.
The prior art includes several styles of boots or hoof coverings for horses typically used for protective purposes. A problem common to known boot designs and analogous hoof coverings is that of boot retention. As the forces imparted to such a boot are random and severe, boot loss is a common occurrence. Various solutions to the problem have been proposed with different degrees of success including boots with straps, boots with hinged wall portions, boots shrunk to the hoof, molding of the boot to the hoof, boots of molded construction have all been proposed. Such solutions also do not overcome installation difficulties and do not result in a boot which may be readily applied and removed by the typical horse owner. Boots secured with straps are difficult and time consuming to apply and are subject to loss upon strap separation or failure.
While one piece elastomeric boots have been suggested, the same are of thick wall construction and not intended for partial reversing to facilitate installation and removal.
Of the known prior art, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,988,828; 3,486,561 disclose an animal boot of unitary molded construction having an annular wall of only limited resiliency: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,446,371; 2,064,566; 3,209,726 disclose boots for dogs which are of flexible construction and generally shaped to fit the foot: U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,346 discloses a hoof covering molded in place to the hoof lower surfaces: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,794,119; 4,155,406 disclose boots held in place by straps or a strap: U.S. Pat. 3,236,310 discloses a boot of heat sensitive material thermally shrunk into place on the hoof: U.S. Pat. 3,967,683 discloses a bifurcated boot for clamping to the hoof: U.S. Pat. 3,386,226 discloses an elastomeric scalper type covering disposable about the hoof to protect the hoof: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,703,209; 3,732,929 disclose molded boots for horses secured in place by a cable and toggle arrangement. U.S. Pat. No. 2,041,538 discloses a rubber horse boot having a continuous wall integral with the boot sole with the frontal wall portion being of greater height than the rear wall portion.